I believe everyone’s life has a purpose. We are here to discover that purpose then use whatever gifts were bestowed upon us to make this world a better place. Some of us are fortunate as we know at an early age what that purpose is. Others, well, we go along, often digressing from the road that will take us there. This is me. Now on the other side of 50, I am finding my way back to that road that will lead to my life’s purpose. Welcome to my journey.

Friday, November 6, 2015

Get up. Get Dressed. Paint.

with Rae Missigman that is how this page started. It was an easy going page without much thinking;
simply painting then using the end of the paintbrush to scratch in some blooms in
the wet paint.

The carnage

I used this page to remind myself I am a good teacher and to not allow the powers in charge to take that away. To catch you up, I have now been moved 3 times this school year. Two weeks into the school year I was transferred from teaching Chemistry in the high school into an elementary school teaching science to 6th and 7th graders. Five long, stressful weeks later (and just after I was getting the hang of things) I got word I was being transferred back to the high school to teach Biology, Physics, and 7th and 8th graders in the alternative ed program: again, no experience in this. Last week I packed up my stuff, yet again, and moved. This week I started with a whole new set of kid learning the ropes of teaching alternative ed students. *sigh...

Noticing

She removes more paint than I seem to be able to by scraping
an old credit card over the wet paint, leaving her page with much more white
space than mine. I also find I’m hesitant
to wipe up too much of the paint yet I always like her finished page better
than mine because of that.

Free Mixed Media Workshop

Wednesday via a fellow blogger I discovered Permission
to Play- a Free Mixed Media Workshop with Carolyn Dube. Yesterday I watched the introductory
lessons, downloaded and painted my Permission to Play permission slip. My plan is to use this class to play in paint
on week nights when I normally do very little creating. Winter is a struggle for me and my hope is to
begin a practice of spending time in the evenings creating to ease the stress
after a long day of teaching.

Do you want
to play along with me?

Joining Paint Party Friday
where having paint under the fingernails is the norm. What colors are under yours?

12 comments:

Lovely work, I am amazed that you got that done in 15 minutes. I think I sometimes spend too much time thinking about things instead of just doing! Sorry to hear you are being pushed around from place to place in your job, I experienced similar things teaching here, and I know how unsettling it is. Have good weekend, Happy PPF, Hugs, Valerie

Wow- what school district moves a teacher around like that? Don't they realize that science isn't a one size fit all? Wow- I am impressed you find time to journal and I say- you go girl. You need that journaling with an employer like that.

Wow so stressful on both you and the kids...as a parent I would be so angry. Things should be settled by Nov... wow...buy yourself a treat you deserve it!! Lovely journal page... enjoy the Carolyns class!

Beautiful color choices and the page is lovely (and inspiring). I am so sorry you are being shuffled around but am sorrier for the children who have to get used to a stream of different teachers. What are the administrators thinking??? Keep journaling....Happy PPF!

Love the pages. Anything that Carolyn Dube puts together I am sure is nothing short of fabulous. She is a true inspiration and I'm glad that you found her Permission to Play - its something that we all need to give ourselves. It must be so very difficult to move around like that in the school system - but think of the children that you have inspired and reached and introduced to the beautiful world of science. Bravo!

Your page looks great, love the bright colours. It can be hard sometimes to sit down after a stressful day and get the art supplies out. But it is so rewarding, once you get to do it, and your page shows how much you can create in just 15 minutes! Amazing. Hope you can make that time often and that it helps you to switch off!

THE JOURNEY

One day you finally knewwhat you had to do, and began,though the voices around youkept shoutingtheir bad advice--though the whole housebegan to trembleand you felt the old tugat your ankles."Mend my life!"each voice cried.But you didn't stop.You knew what you had to do,though the wind priedwith its stiff fingersat the very foundations,though their melancholywas terrible.It was already lateenough, and a wild night,and the road full of fallenbranches and stones.But little by little,as you left their voices behind,the stars began to burnthrough the sheets of clouds,and there was a new voicewhich you slowlyrecognized as your own,that kept you companyas you strode deeper and deeperinto the world,determined to dothe only thing you could do--determined to savethe only life you could

The Dark Night Of The SoulBy Saint John of the CrossTranslated by A.Z. Foreman

Songs of the soul rejoicing at having achieved the high state of perfection, the Union with God, by way of spiritual negation.

Once in the dark of night,Inflamed with love and wanting, I arose(O coming of delight!)And went, as no one knows,When all my house lay long in deep repose

All in the dark went right,Down secret steps, disguised in other clothes, (O coming of delight!)In dark when no one knows, When all my house lay long in deep repose.

And in the luck of nightIn secret places where no other spied I went without my sightWithout a light to guideExcept the heart that lit me from inside.

It guided me and shoneSurer than noonday sunlight over me,And lead me to the oneWhom only I could seeDeep in a place where only we could be.

O guiding dark of night!O dark of night more darling than the dawn!O night that can uniteA lover and loved one,Lover and loved one moved in unison.

And on my flowering breastWhich I had kept for him and him alone He slept as I caressedAnd loved him for my own,Breathing an air from redolent cedars blown.And from the castle wall The wind came down to winnow through his hairBidding his fingers fall,Searing my throat with airAnd all my senses were suspended there. I stayed there to forget.There on my lover, face to face, I lay.All ended, and I letMy cares all fall awayForgotten in the lilies on that day.

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Welcome to my blog! I am married, a high school science teacher, a marine mom, and former army drill Sargent. I find myself at a point in my life where I am experiencing new adventures and a sudden surge in creativity. My brain decided "enough with all that left brained stuff, let's play with your right brain for a while". I now enjoy art journaling, mixed media art, photography, and I recently started swapping my art on Swap-Bot. Who knew one's life could change so drastically! I'm lovin' it!